Winding-indicator for watches.



No; 662,655. mama Nov. 27, I900. 0. OHLSON. WINDING INDICATOR FORWATCHES.

(Application filed June 5, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheat I.

(No Model.)

No. 662,655. Patented Nov. 27, I900. 0. OHLSON.

wmbma INDICATOR FOR WATCHES.

[Application filed June 5, 1899) (lo Model.) 2 Shear-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLOF OHIiSON, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANVVALTHAM WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WINDING-INDICATOR FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,655, dated November27, 1900 Application filed June 5, 1899. Serial No. 719,852. (No model.)7

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLOF OHLSON, of Waltham, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Watch or Clock Movements, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to clocks and watches, and has for itsobject to provide mechanism for indicating the condition or state oflaxity of the mainspring.

My invention comprises improved means whereby the condition of themainspring is made apparent and also the length of time that the watchhas been running since it was last wound, my invention having particularreference to provisions whereby the winding up or the running down ofthe mainspring may continue after the stoppage of the movement of theindicator.

The invention consists in the construction substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

The form of construction is such that provision is made to prevent anypossible disarrangement of or injury to the mechanism by overwinding incase of a broken mainspring or in case of the employment of adrag-springfor connecting the mainspringfrictionally to 0 the barrel.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersindicating the same parts or features,

as the case may be, Wherever they occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents in face View a watch embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents the same with the dial removed and withonly those parts illustrated which are comprehended within theinvention.Fig. 3 represents a view looking from the rear of the watch. Fig. atrepresents the same with some of the parts broken away and shows theresetting-pinion in engagement with the gear on the barrel. Fig. 5represents in perspective view the indicator, the spring-barrel, thepinion for feeding theindicator, and the pinion -for resetting thelatter. Figs. 6 and 7 the resetting-pinion.

mechanism for rotating the indicator.

9, l0, and 11 illustrate in partial section the parts employed in thatembodiment of the invention hereinbefore referred to. Fig. 12illustrates the pinion for transmitting power from the spring to theindicator.

So far as the general features of my invention are concerned it will beunderstood that it maybe employed in connection with the I movement ofany ordinary watch or clock; but for the purpose of disclosure 1 haveillustrated it in connection with a \Valtham watch, in which there is aspring-barrel a, which is separable from the main wheel carried by thesame arbor and which acts as a safety device in case of the breakage ofthe mainspring. The winding and setting stem 1) (see dotted lines inFig. 2) is provided with a gear I), intermeshing with and driving acrown-wheel 5 connected to the gear in turn inter- 7o meshing with anddriving the wheel b on the spring-arbor I), the spring 1) beingconnected to the barrel a and to the gear-wheel (Z, as shown in Fig. l.

The click is indicated at c and engages the winding-wheel b; but as itplays an impor tant part in this embodiment of my invention I willreserve its description until later, except to state that itisprovided-with the pin 0, against which the spring 0 bears to hold it inengagement with the teeth of the winding-wheel.

The winding-Wheel b is rigidly secured to the arbor b as is the barrela, while the main wheel d, to which the inner end of the spring isattached, is mounted loosely upon the arbor. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6,the barrel is provided with gear-teeth a, for a purpose to besubsequently set forth, although, if desired, the teeth may be formed ona wheel 0 rigidly secured to the arbor 11 The watch-plate g is providedwith a recess to receive an indicator, as shown in Fig. 2, saidindicator consisting in the present case of a numeral-bearing wheel 6,provided with 3 peripheral gear-teeth, the numerals extending from 0 to34 and indicating the hours or the length of time the spring has beenrunning or the tension or condition of the spring.

The dialfis provided with an aperture f, through which one numeral isvisible at a IOO time, and the parts are so arranged that when thespring is entirely rewouud the indicator is set at zero, so that the Oappears through the aperture, and as the spring unwinds the wheel 6rotates gradually, so that as the numerals pass successively under theaperturef the length of time thatthe spring has been unwinding or itscondition is easily determined.

In order that the face of the watch shall be symmetrical, theseconds'hand and the aperture f are diametrically opposite each other,as best shown in Fig. 1.

The indicator-wheel e is journaled upon a screw-pin 6', set into thewatch-plate g, and it is rotated by the pins 6 on a pinion a The saidpinion e is formed with an arbor 6 extending through a sleeve or bushing6 inserted in the watch-plate and having flanges e bearing against theunder side of said plate. On the reduced end of the arbor 6 whichprojects beyond the sleeve or bushing 0 is a pinion h, which is mountedloosely thereon and which is frictionally engaged therewith by a springh and a screw 7L2, set into the end of the arbor. The engagement betweenthe pinion 7t and the arbor e is such that under ordinary conditions therotation of the former causes a correspondingrotation of the pinion eand a consequent movement of the indicator-wheel e. The pinionhintermeshes at all times with the going main wheel (Z, as shown in Fig.4, so that as long as the wheel continues to move the indicator-wheelwill be likewise rotated through the medium of the pinions h c and thearbor e". The wheel d, of course, has no retrograde movement when thespring is being rewound, and it is necessary, therefore, to provide somemeans for resetting the indicator-wheel at such times. This resettingmechanism comprises a pinion t', journaled upon the end of an arm orlever t", fulcrumed upon a screw-pin i passed into the watch-plate. Aspring 1' tends to hold the pinion t in engagement with the teeth a onthe barrel, as shown in Fig. '7, said pinion also intermeshing at alltimes with the pinion c heretofore referred to. A stud '6 projectsupwardly from the end of the arm t" to receive the click a, whichengages the windingwheel I), as shown in Fig. 3, and when the spring isunwinding the pressure of the teeth of the wheel 1) against the end ofthe click 0 is sufficient to force the arm t" outwardly into theposition shown in Fig. (5 and free the pinion 7 from engagement with theteeth a on the barrel; but when the spring is being rewound the tensionagainst the end of the clickis relieved and the strength of the spring iis sufficient to throw the pinion 2' into engagement with the barrel, asshown in Fig. l. When the spring is running down or unwinding, theindicator-wheel e is rotated, as previously described, the pinion t' atthis time being out of engagement with the gear on the barrel andrunning loosely with the pinion a but as soon as the winding-wheel b" isrotated the pinion 't' drops into engagement with the teeth on thebarrel and rotates the pinion e in the reverse direction to carry theindicatorwheel back to its starting-point, this being permitted by thefrictional engagement of the wheel h with the arbor c, for at this timethe said pinion h is held from movement by its engagement with the wheel(Z.

I prevent the indicator-wheel from being carried too far in its forwardand reverse movements by cutting away a tooth, as at 6 (see Fig. 2,) andin order to start the wheel again it is provided with a pin o which isadapted to bear against a spring 0 set in an arm 6 secured in place by apin (2, extending into a watch-plate.

Then the indicator-wheel has reached its point of limit in its forwardor its reverse movement, the pin o strikes against the spring 6 and thepins 6 e on the pinion (2 turn loosely between the two teeth e on thewheel c without effecting a movement of the said indicator-wheel. [issoon, however, as the winding begins or ceases the spring a, bearingagainst the pin o carries the indicator-wheel backward or forward, asthe case may be, so that the pins e can engage the teeth of the saidindicator-wheel. Therefore the movement of the indicator may be stoppedprior to the cessation of the winding operation or prior to the runningdown of the mainspring. This construction is furthermore desirable,since it permits the employment of a dragspring in connection with themainspring to prevent the latter from being wound too tightly and alsothe employment of an indicator which indicates a smaller number of hoursthan the spring is capable of runningthat is to say, the spring mayhave, for instance, a capacity of forty-hours work, while the indicatorshows but thirtyseven, and consequently when the indicator reaches zeroposition in its forward movement it is automatically disconnected fromthe spring, while the latter continues to unwind, and when a dragspringis ei'nployed the indicator is likewise automatically disconnected frointhe winding mechanism when the indicator reaches zero in its reversemovement without affecting the continued rotation of the winding-wheel.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, although without attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In a watch or clockmovement, a mainspring, an indicator for showing the length of time thespring has been running, means for winding the spring and resetting theindicator, and devices whereby the indicator may be automaticallydisconnected from the winding means during the forward movement of thewinding devices prior to the cessation of the winding operation.

2. A watch or clock movement comprising in addition to the usual.time-indicating mcchanism, a mainspring, an indicator for showing thelength of time the spring has been running, spring-winding mechanism,operative connections between said spring and the indicator, and betweenthe winding mechanism and the indicator, and devices for antomaticallydisconnecting said indicator from said connections when said indicatorreaches a predetermined limit in either direction, whereby movement ofthe indicator may be stopped prior to the cessation of the windingoperation or prior to the running down of the mainspring.

3. A watch or clock movement comprising the toothed indicator-Wheel ehaving one tooth omitted, the pinion a having pins 6 for engaging theteeth of said Wheel, the arbor e of said pinion,the pinion it loose onthe said arbor, a friction-spring for frictionally engaging the pinion hwith the arbor, and means for rotating the pinion e or the pinion h.

4. In a watch or clock movement, the mainspring-barrel at having teethct, the pinion 2' carried by a lever '6, spring 6 for holding the piniont' in engagement with the teeth a of the barrel, said pinion i beingconstantly engaged with the pinion 6 the winding-wheel click 0 carriedby the lever t", the indicator- Wheel 6, the pinion having means foreffecting rotation of the indicator-wheel and carried by the arbor e,and the pinion h frictionally engaged with the arbor e.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

OLOF OHLSON.

Witnesses:

M. B. MAY, 0. O. STEoHER.

